Hello Everyone,
This week has been really great, with a couple unusual twists and turns! On Monday we had a couple hours to email, wash our clothes, and go shopping. It was not actually our P-Day because of Christmas. Unfortunately on Monday we needed to wash ALL of our clothes because of the bed bugs, so not a lot was accomplished. In the evening, however, we were able to attend our new member’s choir concert at Christ Our Light Catholic Church in Zimmerman. It was fun to get together with her family, and to see her performing a couple fun Christmas songs.
On Tuesday we had a bunch of accountability calls to make, and then the bed bug exterminator came over to our apartment. They tore apart our bedroom and sprayed our mattresses, then they sprayed our furniture and our carpet. They found quite a few bugs on our mattresses, and even found some of my companion’s blood on his mattress. Nasty! We then purchased special bed bug mattress covers to seal any additional bugs in to kill them out. Apparently bed bugs can go 18 months without eating, so it is a fun process. They are going to do 2 additional treatments 2 weeks apart. Hopefully the problem has been resolved!
On Wednesday, Christmas Eve, we had District Meeting. For District Meeting we had a gift exchange, so that was super fun :) I had a couple people in our District give 5 a minute training on goal setting, planning, and execution. We talked about Nephi and how he was a goal setter and a go-getter. It worked out really nicely. Lets be real, it is a miracle in and of itself that District Meeting even happened with all of our bed bug craziness! We spent Christmas Eve with a family in the ward. They had family over for dinner, and we played a few games and opened a few presents. The mom works with glass, and so she made us both a glass sun catcher. They have cute little penguins sitting on an ice cube at the bottom. Kind of fun!
On Thursday, Christmas, we spent the day with another family in the ward. We opened presents with them in the morning, then went over to the other their relatives later in the day for Christmas dinner and a gift exchange. It was super fun :) On Christmas we also got to Skype home, which is always eventful! It is weird to see that people are growing and going on with their lives while I am here on my mission. I don't know why I thought life back home would pause, but it certainly isn't. Craziness! In the evening we visited with the family who is getting baptized tomorrow. We tried on jump suits, answered some last minute questions, and practiced the baptismal ordinance. They certainly had a crazy week!
On Friday, Boxing Day, we were scrambling in the morning to get everything ready for the wedding. The ward really came together and tried to get everything to turn out. With the ward helping, however, you run into a couple awkward situations. A member made all of the flower arrangements, and some of them were just plain ugly. The bouquet in particular. So a member sent us to Walmart to buy a bouquet in the wedding isle, and my project was to combine both bouquets and try to make something that looked good. It took a couple tries, but at last it all worked out! The whole day was awesome really :) A few extended family members were really late, so the day was pushed back a little, but at least everything happened! Their wedding was awesome! Definitely the highlight of the day. I love weddings :) After the wedding they had their wedding reception. The maid-of-honor (their daughter) gave a really touching speech during the reception. She talked about her Mom first and how they are best friends, and how she has been amazed at all the things she has overcome in her life. Then she talked about her step-dad, and what an amazing Dad he has been to her. None of the wife’s children are his, yet he has taken them all in as his own. She talked about how he has been more of a father to her than her real Dad. Then she made everyone cry. She talked about how she has always been looking for someone like him in her life. She talked about all the times that they had Daddy Daughter Dances and Daddy Daughter Dates in school, and she would always just have to stay home. She talked about what an amazing father he has been to them already, and that she was proud to call him Dad. It was a super cool moment! Then they took a bunch of wedding pictures, which turned out really nicely. SO MANY PICTURES! When I get married, if I get married that is, I will definitely be taking pictures on a different day than my actual wedding. Of course you have to take pictures on your wedding, but I am sure I can arrange for some of it to be done in advance. Plus, when you are getting married, you are the boss. It can totally happen! Then came their baptism. We all changed into our jumpsuits and white clothes, and everything worked out really nicely. There were too many people to fit in the Relief Society room, so the baptism was moved to the Chapel. There was an awesome turn out! I had the amazing privilege to baptize two of the daughters. It was a really cool experience! I feel like they have become part of my family. It's weird, but I like it. I love that family SO much! To finish off the evening, we had a lesson with our part-member family on obedience and scripture study. It went pretty well. We watched a few Mormon Messages, and had a really great discussion. It was an exhausting, but definitely a very rewarding day!
On Saturday we did some Weekly Planning in the morning, and then went out joint teaching. We had a lesson with a recent-convert on the Plan of Salvation. We watched a Mormon Message with her on the Plan of Salvation that puts it into the perspective of a 3 Act Play. It was super good! In the evening we went over to the some investigator’s, but they were sick so we set up another appointment. Afterwards we went over and visited with a part member family. A few weeks ago, her son took off though and has been living with some of his friends. We actually saw him at Walmart this week, but didn't realize that he still had not gone home. I don't know why you would take off during the holidays, but hopefully he will come back soon. We talked with them a little bit about Prophets and the Book of Mormon. It was all started by a discussion they were having on how crazy things are going in the world right now. It was a pretty good day :)
On Sunday we had our new member family Confirmation in Church. Last minute they asked me to confirm one of the sons. He’s is my buddy, so I totally agreed! It was super cool to see a family coming together in making and keeping covenants. They are amazing! After Church we went and visited with an investigator. We shared a message with him from the Ensign called "Fill The World With God's Love." Super good message. He talked with us about some family drama, and then he talked to us about how much he appreciates us coming over. He told us that he has no one to talk to. No one ever comes over to see him. His family has been falling apart since his parents died. For a while he didn't even talk to anyone! He is doing a lot better now though, and it is hard to even get a word in. Funny how that works! He is super good man though, I am grateful for the opportunity that we have had to meet with him. In the evening we went out joint teaching. We had a lesson with the new member family on obedience and scripture study. They were pretty exhausted with all the weeks events, but it worked out nicely. They are going to accomplish some really cool things in the future, I know it!
Today is not actually our P-Day either. Our P-Day will be on New Year's Day. Kind of fun how it all works out :) I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a Happy New Year! Thank you all for your love and support. Talk to you soon!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Faith Brings Miracles
12/22/14
Hello Everyone,
This week has been kind of crazy, but has been a super good week all together. On Tuesday we had our P-Day, and in the evening we went over to our investigator’s home and reviewed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also filled out all of their baptismal records, which was a process! I don't know why the Church hasn't made a family baptismal record, but they haven't. We had to make an individual baptismal record for all five of them. It was a process, but it is a good problem to have! I am amazed at their desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. They are on fire! On Tuesday, the Sisters took off. I found out that I am going home with one of the Sister, so it will be fun to catch up later!
On Wednesday we went suit shopping with the investigator family! The dad found an awesome suit at the Calvin Klein outlet for a steal. Shopping is the greatest :) Maybe I can be a professional shopper when I get home! Doubt it would pay enough for my own shopping though... Guess I will have to keep looking for a career. After shopping with them, we had our weekly meeting with the Bishop. We were kind of scattered, but it all worked out. We just have A LOT of work to do now that the Sisters are gone. We have two huge areas to cover now, and no extra time to do it all. Everything is going to be fine though :) In the evening we visited with an inactive member. We have been teaching her son for a while now, but as of recently he ran away. They are still trying to find out where he is, but hopefully he will come home for Christmas. We shared "He Is The Gift" with her, and she loved it! It was a really great visit :) She works in the oil fields in North Dakota, so she is rarely ever home. This was my first time meeting with her, but it seemed to go really well!
On Thursday we had a bunch of accountability calls in the morning, and then we went and did service at the thrift store. We helped with taking down and reorganizing some of the Christmas stuff. They are preparing for a big Christmas clearance sale to get rid of all of their Christmas stuff before the end of the year. In the evening we had a lesson with our investigator family on the 10 Commandments. We reviewed all of the commandments, and then we planned out their baptism. They are all super excited! Normally ward members are encouraged to participate in the actual baptizing of the converts, but the mom and her daughter have asked me to baptize them. The other daughter asked my companion to baptize her, their son will be baptized by his dad, and another child will be baptized by his uncle. Should be an exciting day! They are getting married at 1:00, afterwards they are having a reception, and at 3:00 they will be getting baptized. Crazy! Good things are in the works. To finish off the evening, we met with another investigator family and reviewed the Word of Wisdom. Our new member is doing great, and her sister has continued to sit in on all of our discussions! Her mom is very optimistic about her developing a desire to be baptized.
On Friday we had Weekly Planning, and then we went on exchange with our Zone Leaders. I stayed in here with an Elder from Kayesville, Utah. He is an awesome missionary, and we had a really great time on exchange. To start off the evening, we had our investigator family’s baptismal interviews. They all passed, no surprise. They are great! I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to teach them and to get to know their family better :) Later in the evening we visited with a member. We shared with her a message from the December 2014 Ensign called "Fill The World With Christ's Love." It is a super good message that talks about giving of ourselves this Christmas season. I am constantly reminded on my mission that it isn't necessarily the things that you purchase for people that makes the biggest difference, but the time and love that you give them. (Not that I don't want gifts for Christmas haha! I am definitely not to that point!) Time and attention make a huge difference!
On Saturday we went out contacting in the morning and shared "He Is The Gift" with quite a few people! We even came in contact with a woman who used to meet with the missionaries, that is interested in meeting with us again. She was on her way out, but we will have to try her again! We also helped a family in the ward move an old broken piano out of their home. Later in the afternoon we had an interview, and we were able to talk about everything that is happening in the District. We identified a few things that we can all improve, which is always great! One thing that we talked a lot about was time. I feel like there is never enough time to do everything, but again, it is a good problem to have. We talked a lot about sharing the responsibilities. I need to focus more on the District, and my companion needs to focus more on the area. I can't be the head of our District and our area. That means that I need to let go... that is kind of a big deal for me. I definitely like to organize and be in charge of things... that way I know that things will get done, and they will be done well. Sharing the responsibility is all part of learning though... it will be good for me, and it will be good for my companion. All good things :) No one ever said that good things were easy to do though! We later were able to visit with an investigator and share "He Is The Gift" with him. We talked a lot about Christmas and traditions, and his plans for Christmas this year. He is a really awesome guy! Later we exchanged back, and went out joint teaching. We had an awesome evening! We first visited with a recent convert in the sister’s former area. We talked with her about the Word of Wisdom and the Spirit. We shared the cool new living nativity video that they filmed in Utah with the Piano Guys and David Archuletta. Later we dropped off some cookies for a few home teaching families, and finished the evening visiting a part-member family. At first they were not very open to having us over. Their son had a fever of 102 degrees, and they did not want to get any of us sick. Our joint teacher offered to give him a blessing, but they kindly refused. I went on and talked about "He Is The Gift" and invited their family to watch it together, and a few minutes later he invited us to come inside. When we were inside, he asked his son if he would like a blessing, and he agreed! We explained what a blessing was, and gave him a blessing. The mom, who is Catholic, got very emotional. You could feel the Spirit really strong in their home after the blessing, and it took almost immediate effect. He was up dancing around and was feeling great! We talked about the Book of Mormon, and invited them to start taking the discussions, and they accepted! We will be visiting with them again next Saturday :) Now here is where things get REALLY interesting! My companion has a bunch of bumps all over his body from our exchange. He was bitten by something while sleeping in the other elder’s bed. They suspect they might be bed bugs. Yep! So we applied a bunch of anti-itch cream all over his body, and went to bed.
On Sunday, we had a really great service at Church. Because last week was our Christmas service, the Bishopric all spoke about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. I thought it was a really awesome focus for the Sunday right before Christmas! Our investigator family all came to Church as well as a part-member that the Sisters were working with. On Saturday evening, a dear friend of our investigator family was killed in a car crash. They were very startled, and were having a tough time with it all. Totally understandable. Please keep them in your prayers. (Maybe a Facebook message would be helpful...) My companion’s bed bug bites were really irritated, and they had everyone at Church up on their toes. We texted President Forbes and the Assistants, and were waiting for a response. We got mixed reviews at Church, some people told us that we were going to die basically and that we needed to burn all of our furniture and clothes, and other people told us that it was no big deal. We almost got kicked out of Church, but someone looked it up and said we would be fine. After Church we talked to the medical and apartment coordinators, and started to wash and dry all of his clothes on the hottest cycle available. We counted and took pictures of all of his bug bites so that we would know if he got any additional bites when we went to bed. In the evening we had a lesson with our new member and her family on the law of chastity. It went really well, and I think everyone learned a lot! We talked mostly about having good standards, and the importance of our thoughts, words, and actions.
Today we have been dealing with the bed bug dilemma. My companion had some additional bites this morning, so tomorrow they will be exterminating our apartment before they spread. The Elders that we got the bed bugs from will be doing the same. We washed all of our clothes, and deep cleaned the apartment. I don't have any bites or anything, and I certainly do not want to get any! Today we have a quick P-Day. Christmas is our real P-Day. We are just emailing and shopping today, so that should be fun :) We are spending Christmas with a family in the ward, and it sounds like it is going to be a super fun day! Plus, we get to Skype, so that is always a good time ;)
Thank you all for all of your love and support! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas :) I will talk to you soon, and see some of you even sooner!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has been kind of crazy, but has been a super good week all together. On Tuesday we had our P-Day, and in the evening we went over to our investigator’s home and reviewed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also filled out all of their baptismal records, which was a process! I don't know why the Church hasn't made a family baptismal record, but they haven't. We had to make an individual baptismal record for all five of them. It was a process, but it is a good problem to have! I am amazed at their desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. They are on fire! On Tuesday, the Sisters took off. I found out that I am going home with one of the Sister, so it will be fun to catch up later!
On Wednesday we went suit shopping with the investigator family! The dad found an awesome suit at the Calvin Klein outlet for a steal. Shopping is the greatest :) Maybe I can be a professional shopper when I get home! Doubt it would pay enough for my own shopping though... Guess I will have to keep looking for a career. After shopping with them, we had our weekly meeting with the Bishop. We were kind of scattered, but it all worked out. We just have A LOT of work to do now that the Sisters are gone. We have two huge areas to cover now, and no extra time to do it all. Everything is going to be fine though :) In the evening we visited with an inactive member. We have been teaching her son for a while now, but as of recently he ran away. They are still trying to find out where he is, but hopefully he will come home for Christmas. We shared "He Is The Gift" with her, and she loved it! It was a really great visit :) She works in the oil fields in North Dakota, so she is rarely ever home. This was my first time meeting with her, but it seemed to go really well!
On Thursday we had a bunch of accountability calls in the morning, and then we went and did service at the thrift store. We helped with taking down and reorganizing some of the Christmas stuff. They are preparing for a big Christmas clearance sale to get rid of all of their Christmas stuff before the end of the year. In the evening we had a lesson with our investigator family on the 10 Commandments. We reviewed all of the commandments, and then we planned out their baptism. They are all super excited! Normally ward members are encouraged to participate in the actual baptizing of the converts, but the mom and her daughter have asked me to baptize them. The other daughter asked my companion to baptize her, their son will be baptized by his dad, and another child will be baptized by his uncle. Should be an exciting day! They are getting married at 1:00, afterwards they are having a reception, and at 3:00 they will be getting baptized. Crazy! Good things are in the works. To finish off the evening, we met with another investigator family and reviewed the Word of Wisdom. Our new member is doing great, and her sister has continued to sit in on all of our discussions! Her mom is very optimistic about her developing a desire to be baptized.
On Friday we had Weekly Planning, and then we went on exchange with our Zone Leaders. I stayed in here with an Elder from Kayesville, Utah. He is an awesome missionary, and we had a really great time on exchange. To start off the evening, we had our investigator family’s baptismal interviews. They all passed, no surprise. They are great! I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to teach them and to get to know their family better :) Later in the evening we visited with a member. We shared with her a message from the December 2014 Ensign called "Fill The World With Christ's Love." It is a super good message that talks about giving of ourselves this Christmas season. I am constantly reminded on my mission that it isn't necessarily the things that you purchase for people that makes the biggest difference, but the time and love that you give them. (Not that I don't want gifts for Christmas haha! I am definitely not to that point!) Time and attention make a huge difference!
On Saturday we went out contacting in the morning and shared "He Is The Gift" with quite a few people! We even came in contact with a woman who used to meet with the missionaries, that is interested in meeting with us again. She was on her way out, but we will have to try her again! We also helped a family in the ward move an old broken piano out of their home. Later in the afternoon we had an interview, and we were able to talk about everything that is happening in the District. We identified a few things that we can all improve, which is always great! One thing that we talked a lot about was time. I feel like there is never enough time to do everything, but again, it is a good problem to have. We talked a lot about sharing the responsibilities. I need to focus more on the District, and my companion needs to focus more on the area. I can't be the head of our District and our area. That means that I need to let go... that is kind of a big deal for me. I definitely like to organize and be in charge of things... that way I know that things will get done, and they will be done well. Sharing the responsibility is all part of learning though... it will be good for me, and it will be good for my companion. All good things :) No one ever said that good things were easy to do though! We later were able to visit with an investigator and share "He Is The Gift" with him. We talked a lot about Christmas and traditions, and his plans for Christmas this year. He is a really awesome guy! Later we exchanged back, and went out joint teaching. We had an awesome evening! We first visited with a recent convert in the sister’s former area. We talked with her about the Word of Wisdom and the Spirit. We shared the cool new living nativity video that they filmed in Utah with the Piano Guys and David Archuletta. Later we dropped off some cookies for a few home teaching families, and finished the evening visiting a part-member family. At first they were not very open to having us over. Their son had a fever of 102 degrees, and they did not want to get any of us sick. Our joint teacher offered to give him a blessing, but they kindly refused. I went on and talked about "He Is The Gift" and invited their family to watch it together, and a few minutes later he invited us to come inside. When we were inside, he asked his son if he would like a blessing, and he agreed! We explained what a blessing was, and gave him a blessing. The mom, who is Catholic, got very emotional. You could feel the Spirit really strong in their home after the blessing, and it took almost immediate effect. He was up dancing around and was feeling great! We talked about the Book of Mormon, and invited them to start taking the discussions, and they accepted! We will be visiting with them again next Saturday :) Now here is where things get REALLY interesting! My companion has a bunch of bumps all over his body from our exchange. He was bitten by something while sleeping in the other elder’s bed. They suspect they might be bed bugs. Yep! So we applied a bunch of anti-itch cream all over his body, and went to bed.
On Sunday, we had a really great service at Church. Because last week was our Christmas service, the Bishopric all spoke about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. I thought it was a really awesome focus for the Sunday right before Christmas! Our investigator family all came to Church as well as a part-member that the Sisters were working with. On Saturday evening, a dear friend of our investigator family was killed in a car crash. They were very startled, and were having a tough time with it all. Totally understandable. Please keep them in your prayers. (Maybe a Facebook message would be helpful...) My companion’s bed bug bites were really irritated, and they had everyone at Church up on their toes. We texted President Forbes and the Assistants, and were waiting for a response. We got mixed reviews at Church, some people told us that we were going to die basically and that we needed to burn all of our furniture and clothes, and other people told us that it was no big deal. We almost got kicked out of Church, but someone looked it up and said we would be fine. After Church we talked to the medical and apartment coordinators, and started to wash and dry all of his clothes on the hottest cycle available. We counted and took pictures of all of his bug bites so that we would know if he got any additional bites when we went to bed. In the evening we had a lesson with our new member and her family on the law of chastity. It went really well, and I think everyone learned a lot! We talked mostly about having good standards, and the importance of our thoughts, words, and actions.
Today we have been dealing with the bed bug dilemma. My companion had some additional bites this morning, so tomorrow they will be exterminating our apartment before they spread. The Elders that we got the bed bugs from will be doing the same. We washed all of our clothes, and deep cleaned the apartment. I don't have any bites or anything, and I certainly do not want to get any! Today we have a quick P-Day. Christmas is our real P-Day. We are just emailing and shopping today, so that should be fun :) We are spending Christmas with a family in the ward, and it sounds like it is going to be a super fun day! Plus, we get to Skype, so that is always a good time ;)
Thank you all for all of your love and support! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas :) I will talk to you soon, and see some of you even sooner!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Christmas Sunday, Zone Conference
Hello Everyone,
This week has been insane! On Monday we had our District P-Day at the Hogan's Pole Barn. They have a rock climbing course, a multiple climbing ropes, go-karts, tricycles, anything you can imagine. It was super fun :) In the evening we visited with our investigator family, and shared "He Is The Gift" with them. We talked about the importance of Christmas time, and the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. Afterwards we did the exact same thing with our other investigator family. It was great! I love sharing "He Is The Gift"! #ShareTheGift
On Tuesday we had a bunch of accountability calls to make in the morning. I love talking with all of the teams and finding out what is going on in everyone's areas. Missionary work is the greatest! Afterwards we went and did some service for family in the ward. The mom is the lead coordinator at the St. Paul Minnesota Temple, and has been having some trouble with an excel spreadsheet that she sends out with the schedule. She asked us when we were over doing our laundry if we knew anything about computers, and I offered to help. I don't know a ton about Excel, but with a little bit of playing around I was able to figure out the problem. In the evening we went out joint teaching. We shared "He Is The Gift" with the an investigator and her family. I love Christmas :)
On Wednesday we had District Meeting. This week I trained on "Revelation Through Church Attendance." We discussed how to effectively pitch an invitation to Church, and offering Church tours. It went really well! For a role play, we went on a tour of the Church. We each had our own individual assignments for the Church tour, and it all came together marvelously. I was pretty excited! I had a handout with a mustache sticker that said "I Mustache You A Question" - relating to inviting people to worship with us, and then a quote by Walt Disney. I don't remember the quote exactly, but it says something to the extent of, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors and exploring new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." I love Walt Disney! I really like that quote too. I think it perfectly describes our purpose as missionaries. It is our curiosity that motivates us to keep moving forward. If we didn't care about the people, then it would be pointless to keep doing what we do. We try new things, knock on different doors, and work with different people to help everyone come unto Christ. After District Meeting I went on exchange with an Elder from Texas in one of my old areas! It was a blast. We had dinner with a family in the ward, and then we shared "He Is The Gift" with three other families. All people that I love and used to meet with in that area! It was super cool. I can't wait to go on exchange there again. Right now the area is kind of struggling, so I hope to be able to help it grow.
On Thursday we exchanged back (kind of) and then I went on exchange with my old companion. This time I stayed in my area, and my companion went to a different one. We did some service at thrift store in the afternoon, which is always great. Before dinner we visited with a less-active member, and shared "He Is The Gift" with him and his family. They loved it! Basically everyone loves it. It has opened up SO many new doors and avenues for different ways to share the gospel. People are much more open to here a special Christmas message than a message about someone else's Church. Turns out Christmas has EVERYTHING to do with our Church ;) They don't realize that at first though. In the evening we had a lesson with our investigator family. We discussed the baptismal interview questions, and prepared the mom for her first interview with our Zone Leaders on Saturday. We talked about the reasons behind having an interview to declare your worthiness to a servant of the Lord. She was a little nervous, but totally ready. We finished the evening with our other investigator family. We were teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shared "Treasure In Heaven: The John Tanner Story" that discusses all of the elements of the Gospel of Jesus Christ perfectly. (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, Endure To The End) It was an awesome lesson! We finished by inviting everyone in their family to come to Church with us on Sunday for the Ward Christmas Sunday. They made this Sunday an invite Sunday (invite non-members to come to Church with us) and made super cool invitations. They also chose to do our Christmas Sunday a week early so it won't interfere with other religions Christmas services so that people would be more likely to come.
On Friday we exchanged back for real, and did some service at a different thrift store. While we were doing service, I decided to push my limits and step over the pointy fence to save time. While I cleared the fence, my jeans did not. (Get ready for an embarrassing story) I got stuck! The pointy fence pierced right through the crotch of my jeans. So now I have a nice hole in my jeans. I had to pull my jeans off the fence, and all was well. After doing some service, we had our weekly planning session, which was kind of rushed. We have just been SUPER busy, which is a good thing for sure :) In the evening we met with our investigator family and shared a Mormon Message called "Expressions Of Love." We talked about the importance of sharing kind words of love and encouragement with each other. We then talked about Christlike love, and how he gave the perfect example of love. #AllYouNeedIsLove
On Saturday we had our investigator interview with one of our Zone Leaders. She passed with flying colors, and was set for her second interview on Sunday with President Ehlert. Afterwards we went and visited with an investigator. We shared a message with him about Christmas from the Ensign called "The Reality Of Christmas." We invited him to come to Church with us on Sunday for the Chirstmas service, and he agreed. Well kind of. I said that we would see him on Sunday, and he laughed and said "we will see!" He did tell me that I was very diplomatic and persuasive though, so that was a plus ;) Whatever gets you to Church! In the evening we visited with our investigator family and watched "Finding Faith In Christ" with them. We began teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and answered a couple of questions that they had. We finished off the evening with some last minute Church invitations for Sunday. We gave out the rest of our invitations, and headed home.
Sunday was awesome! SO many people came to Church! Three investigator families, our reluctant investigator, and a bunch of part-member families came, as well as a bunch of new people that other members invited. It was sweet :) Well it was sweet until I realized that with the additional people, we had a HUGE crowd to perform for. They asked the missionaries to perform the song "Does He Remember" in the December 2014 Ensign. It is a super pretty song, but I get SUPER nervous singing in front of people. I was fine until we had like 2 minutes before we were on. Holy cow, my heart was beating super fast, and I was really short on breath. We got up and sang, and my solo part did not go nearly as well as we had practiced. It is super hard to sing when you can't breathe! People still complimented our song and everything after Church, but inside you still totally know that you didn't do a good job. Mormon culture haha ;) You can give an awful talk, and people will still come up and tell you that it was amazing. I think I was mostly just frustrated that my nerves got the best of me. In high school I developed (after a LOT of practice) a love for public speaking, but clearly public singing is not my forte. I can sing in a choir, but a solo apparently freaks me out. Now I'm just rambling, on to the rest of the day! After Church, our investigator was interviewed by President Ehlert, and is now set to be baptized on the 26th of December! In the afternoon we went caroling with the Sisters, so that was super fun :) We handed out a TON of "He Is The Gift" pass-along cards, and made a lot of people happy. In the evening we had a lesson with our investigator family and finished teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To finish off the day we met with our new convert and her mom and reviewed the 10 Commandments. All in all, it was a super good week :)
On Monday we had our Christmas Zone Conference at the Stake Center. The St. Cloud Zone was combined with the Anoka Zone, so it was super fun to see all of my friends in the Anoka Zone. I got to hear about all of the good things going on in my old Ward, so that was fun! Apparently they talk about me all the time, so that was good to hear haha ;) At the Christmas Conference we were able to watch "It's A Wonderful Life." It was fun to see an actual movie :) I don't think I have ever seen that movie before, so it was super great! Apparently it is a Christmas classic. I will definitely have to watch that one again. We got to hear from President and Sister Forbes, which is always great! We got to hear some HILARIOUS stories from them. Christmas Conference is always super different from all other missionary meetings, it is much more relaxed. The Forbes' son is getting married so Sister Forbes is flying to California this week for their son's wedding. Unfortunately President Forbes is not going to be able to make it, so it is kind of a happy and a sad time. In the evening we were able to go over to our investigator family’s and offer some service. They are moving some stuff out of their cabin up north to hopefully sell it soon, so we helped them organize the stuff that they moved into their garage and situated everything in their house. They had some "interesting" things in their cabin... like a Jackalope and a bunch of antlers.
It has been a busy, but super good week :) Thank you all for all of your love and support! The weather in Minnesota has actually been AMAZING this past week. All the snow melted, and it was a balmy 40+ degrees! Much improved from last year. It snowed yesterday though, so the temperatures are a little bit down, but still much better than last year! Hope you have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Andrews
This week has been insane! On Monday we had our District P-Day at the Hogan's Pole Barn. They have a rock climbing course, a multiple climbing ropes, go-karts, tricycles, anything you can imagine. It was super fun :) In the evening we visited with our investigator family, and shared "He Is The Gift" with them. We talked about the importance of Christmas time, and the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. Afterwards we did the exact same thing with our other investigator family. It was great! I love sharing "He Is The Gift"! #ShareTheGift
On Tuesday we had a bunch of accountability calls to make in the morning. I love talking with all of the teams and finding out what is going on in everyone's areas. Missionary work is the greatest! Afterwards we went and did some service for family in the ward. The mom is the lead coordinator at the St. Paul Minnesota Temple, and has been having some trouble with an excel spreadsheet that she sends out with the schedule. She asked us when we were over doing our laundry if we knew anything about computers, and I offered to help. I don't know a ton about Excel, but with a little bit of playing around I was able to figure out the problem. In the evening we went out joint teaching. We shared "He Is The Gift" with the an investigator and her family. I love Christmas :)
On Wednesday we had District Meeting. This week I trained on "Revelation Through Church Attendance." We discussed how to effectively pitch an invitation to Church, and offering Church tours. It went really well! For a role play, we went on a tour of the Church. We each had our own individual assignments for the Church tour, and it all came together marvelously. I was pretty excited! I had a handout with a mustache sticker that said "I Mustache You A Question" - relating to inviting people to worship with us, and then a quote by Walt Disney. I don't remember the quote exactly, but it says something to the extent of, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors and exploring new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." I love Walt Disney! I really like that quote too. I think it perfectly describes our purpose as missionaries. It is our curiosity that motivates us to keep moving forward. If we didn't care about the people, then it would be pointless to keep doing what we do. We try new things, knock on different doors, and work with different people to help everyone come unto Christ. After District Meeting I went on exchange with an Elder from Texas in one of my old areas! It was a blast. We had dinner with a family in the ward, and then we shared "He Is The Gift" with three other families. All people that I love and used to meet with in that area! It was super cool. I can't wait to go on exchange there again. Right now the area is kind of struggling, so I hope to be able to help it grow.
On Thursday we exchanged back (kind of) and then I went on exchange with my old companion. This time I stayed in my area, and my companion went to a different one. We did some service at thrift store in the afternoon, which is always great. Before dinner we visited with a less-active member, and shared "He Is The Gift" with him and his family. They loved it! Basically everyone loves it. It has opened up SO many new doors and avenues for different ways to share the gospel. People are much more open to here a special Christmas message than a message about someone else's Church. Turns out Christmas has EVERYTHING to do with our Church ;) They don't realize that at first though. In the evening we had a lesson with our investigator family. We discussed the baptismal interview questions, and prepared the mom for her first interview with our Zone Leaders on Saturday. We talked about the reasons behind having an interview to declare your worthiness to a servant of the Lord. She was a little nervous, but totally ready. We finished the evening with our other investigator family. We were teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shared "Treasure In Heaven: The John Tanner Story" that discusses all of the elements of the Gospel of Jesus Christ perfectly. (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost, Endure To The End) It was an awesome lesson! We finished by inviting everyone in their family to come to Church with us on Sunday for the Ward Christmas Sunday. They made this Sunday an invite Sunday (invite non-members to come to Church with us) and made super cool invitations. They also chose to do our Christmas Sunday a week early so it won't interfere with other religions Christmas services so that people would be more likely to come.
On Friday we exchanged back for real, and did some service at a different thrift store. While we were doing service, I decided to push my limits and step over the pointy fence to save time. While I cleared the fence, my jeans did not. (Get ready for an embarrassing story) I got stuck! The pointy fence pierced right through the crotch of my jeans. So now I have a nice hole in my jeans. I had to pull my jeans off the fence, and all was well. After doing some service, we had our weekly planning session, which was kind of rushed. We have just been SUPER busy, which is a good thing for sure :) In the evening we met with our investigator family and shared a Mormon Message called "Expressions Of Love." We talked about the importance of sharing kind words of love and encouragement with each other. We then talked about Christlike love, and how he gave the perfect example of love. #AllYouNeedIsLove
On Saturday we had our investigator interview with one of our Zone Leaders. She passed with flying colors, and was set for her second interview on Sunday with President Ehlert. Afterwards we went and visited with an investigator. We shared a message with him about Christmas from the Ensign called "The Reality Of Christmas." We invited him to come to Church with us on Sunday for the Chirstmas service, and he agreed. Well kind of. I said that we would see him on Sunday, and he laughed and said "we will see!" He did tell me that I was very diplomatic and persuasive though, so that was a plus ;) Whatever gets you to Church! In the evening we visited with our investigator family and watched "Finding Faith In Christ" with them. We began teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and answered a couple of questions that they had. We finished off the evening with some last minute Church invitations for Sunday. We gave out the rest of our invitations, and headed home.
Sunday was awesome! SO many people came to Church! Three investigator families, our reluctant investigator, and a bunch of part-member families came, as well as a bunch of new people that other members invited. It was sweet :) Well it was sweet until I realized that with the additional people, we had a HUGE crowd to perform for. They asked the missionaries to perform the song "Does He Remember" in the December 2014 Ensign. It is a super pretty song, but I get SUPER nervous singing in front of people. I was fine until we had like 2 minutes before we were on. Holy cow, my heart was beating super fast, and I was really short on breath. We got up and sang, and my solo part did not go nearly as well as we had practiced. It is super hard to sing when you can't breathe! People still complimented our song and everything after Church, but inside you still totally know that you didn't do a good job. Mormon culture haha ;) You can give an awful talk, and people will still come up and tell you that it was amazing. I think I was mostly just frustrated that my nerves got the best of me. In high school I developed (after a LOT of practice) a love for public speaking, but clearly public singing is not my forte. I can sing in a choir, but a solo apparently freaks me out. Now I'm just rambling, on to the rest of the day! After Church, our investigator was interviewed by President Ehlert, and is now set to be baptized on the 26th of December! In the afternoon we went caroling with the Sisters, so that was super fun :) We handed out a TON of "He Is The Gift" pass-along cards, and made a lot of people happy. In the evening we had a lesson with our investigator family and finished teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To finish off the day we met with our new convert and her mom and reviewed the 10 Commandments. All in all, it was a super good week :)
On Monday we had our Christmas Zone Conference at the Stake Center. The St. Cloud Zone was combined with the Anoka Zone, so it was super fun to see all of my friends in the Anoka Zone. I got to hear about all of the good things going on in my old Ward, so that was fun! Apparently they talk about me all the time, so that was good to hear haha ;) At the Christmas Conference we were able to watch "It's A Wonderful Life." It was fun to see an actual movie :) I don't think I have ever seen that movie before, so it was super great! Apparently it is a Christmas classic. I will definitely have to watch that one again. We got to hear from President and Sister Forbes, which is always great! We got to hear some HILARIOUS stories from them. Christmas Conference is always super different from all other missionary meetings, it is much more relaxed. The Forbes' son is getting married so Sister Forbes is flying to California this week for their son's wedding. Unfortunately President Forbes is not going to be able to make it, so it is kind of a happy and a sad time. In the evening we were able to go over to our investigator family’s and offer some service. They are moving some stuff out of their cabin up north to hopefully sell it soon, so we helped them organize the stuff that they moved into their garage and situated everything in their house. They had some "interesting" things in their cabin... like a Jackalope and a bunch of antlers.
It has been a busy, but super good week :) Thank you all for all of your love and support! The weather in Minnesota has actually been AMAZING this past week. All the snow melted, and it was a balmy 40+ degrees! Much improved from last year. It snowed yesterday though, so the temperatures are a little bit down, but still much better than last year! Hope you have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Andrews
Monday, December 30, 2013
Christmas Cheer
Monday, December 30, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has definitely been one to remember! I cannot believe that Christmas is already here, but it was amazing :) We spent Christmas Eve with a wonderful family. They are so awesome! We had an amazing dinner, talked about traditions that our families have for Christmas, they acted out Luke 2 and gave us crowns to be three wise men, and then we had cake. They had a birthday cake for Jesus! Such a fun idea :) To finish off the night, they gave us our first Christmas presents, AND I was allowed to open it before Christmas! We both got a fun pair of Argyle socks, and my favorite Burts Bees Original Chapstick. This sister knows me so well haha ;) She made it to Sonic before 4:00 PM closing on Christmas Eve, so she was able to have her celebratory Diet Coke for Christmas. We on the other hand arrived at 4:15 PM, so no Christmas Diet Coke from Sonic for me. But we all know that I had a can later in the day ;) In other words... "I had some anyways!"
Christmas was great as well! We had breakfast with the family we live with and opened up presents with them. I knew the mom would be getting us presents, so I secretly had stashed one for her as well! She absolutely loved it, even though it was just a simple gift that I found at target with a fun little note that I included. It made my day for sure to see how happy it made her, and she later shared it with all of her grandkids when they came over! At 2:00 PM we got to make our Skype calls home! It was fun to be able to see my family and my grandparents briefly on Christmas and to be able to talk to them for a short little while :) Of course the internet went down in the middle of our Skype call, so I got to use my computer knowledge to fix the internet and get back on Skype! Christmas isn't the same without a little bit of drama ;) I was a "good boy" and didn't open my presents from my family until Christmas, so I got some extra props from them as well! For dinner we ate with a family from the ward. After dinner they put on a talent show for us, and we were able to hear the Christmas orange story, SO great :) It all worked out in the end, and was a really great Christmas!
On Thursday we went up to Big Lake, Minnesota and met with a Sister and her grandson. The grandson has a muscular disorder, and his heart is failing, so they are not able to do much when it is FREEZING cold outside. We talked with them, and gave them some church videos to watch because they are not able to attend sacrament meeting currently. As we were about to leave, I felt prompted to ask the Sister if she wanted a blessing. She said that while she didn't want one, she would really appreciate it if we gave her grandson a blessing. It was a really great experience for us all, and the spirit was really strong as we departed!
While still in Big Lake we met with a sister and her non-member boyfriend. The sister shared with us that she has been going some really tough times lately, and that she is soon going to be going to jail. She was involved in a check fraud scam, and got off easy apparently with 10 days in jail. Some of the people involved got 5-10 years, so she is counting her blessings! Her boyfriend committed to baptism as we taught the restoration though, and this sister shared with us that wants church to be a more active part of her life. It was a really great meeting.
On Friday we were able to see a sister, and her 3 year old daughter. Her daughter is always very shy around us, and hides behind her mom, but this time she warmed up to me a little bit! (Probably because I told her that I would make pink cupcakes and bring them to her the next time we see them, but minor details!) Christmas was difficult for them this year, but this sister is really excited for a brand new year, and a fresh new start!
On Saturday before a meeting with a less-active family, we met a couple while we were out tracting. They are catholic, but are very aware of Mormons. They met each other while working for the Boy Scouts of America, so they have met LOTS of Mormons ;) I was able to talk with them about the BSA program, and the fact that I was an Eagle Scout, and that I went to BYU which used to have a BSA major. (It is now the recreational management major I believe.) Who knew that my Mom was inspired by making me do scouting, even though I didn't like it very much. Especially the camping part. They have a very unique family! They have a deaf daughter who has had surgeries to make it so that she can talk and hear now, and two big dogs. It was really fun being able to meet with them and talk with them briefly! Hopefully we will be able to meet with them again in the near future.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year :) Thank you all for your love and warm wishes!
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Mom,
Today, right before we left the house to go email, I got an unexpected package! The Bancrofts who spent their Christmas in the warm and beautiful Hawaii, sent me a postcard and some fun macadamia nut treats from Hawaii :) It made my day! Maybe we can swap for a couple weeks though, these past two days have been quite cold! Yesterday was -15 degrees, and the wind chill brought it down to about -35/40 degrees. Not fun!!
Hello Everyone,
This week has definitely been one to remember! I cannot believe that Christmas is already here, but it was amazing :) We spent Christmas Eve with a wonderful family. They are so awesome! We had an amazing dinner, talked about traditions that our families have for Christmas, they acted out Luke 2 and gave us crowns to be three wise men, and then we had cake. They had a birthday cake for Jesus! Such a fun idea :) To finish off the night, they gave us our first Christmas presents, AND I was allowed to open it before Christmas! We both got a fun pair of Argyle socks, and my favorite Burts Bees Original Chapstick. This sister knows me so well haha ;) She made it to Sonic before 4:00 PM closing on Christmas Eve, so she was able to have her celebratory Diet Coke for Christmas. We on the other hand arrived at 4:15 PM, so no Christmas Diet Coke from Sonic for me. But we all know that I had a can later in the day ;) In other words... "I had some anyways!"
Christmas was great as well! We had breakfast with the family we live with and opened up presents with them. I knew the mom would be getting us presents, so I secretly had stashed one for her as well! She absolutely loved it, even though it was just a simple gift that I found at target with a fun little note that I included. It made my day for sure to see how happy it made her, and she later shared it with all of her grandkids when they came over! At 2:00 PM we got to make our Skype calls home! It was fun to be able to see my family and my grandparents briefly on Christmas and to be able to talk to them for a short little while :) Of course the internet went down in the middle of our Skype call, so I got to use my computer knowledge to fix the internet and get back on Skype! Christmas isn't the same without a little bit of drama ;) I was a "good boy" and didn't open my presents from my family until Christmas, so I got some extra props from them as well! For dinner we ate with a family from the ward. After dinner they put on a talent show for us, and we were able to hear the Christmas orange story, SO great :) It all worked out in the end, and was a really great Christmas!
On Thursday we went up to Big Lake, Minnesota and met with a Sister and her grandson. The grandson has a muscular disorder, and his heart is failing, so they are not able to do much when it is FREEZING cold outside. We talked with them, and gave them some church videos to watch because they are not able to attend sacrament meeting currently. As we were about to leave, I felt prompted to ask the Sister if she wanted a blessing. She said that while she didn't want one, she would really appreciate it if we gave her grandson a blessing. It was a really great experience for us all, and the spirit was really strong as we departed!
While still in Big Lake we met with a sister and her non-member boyfriend. The sister shared with us that she has been going some really tough times lately, and that she is soon going to be going to jail. She was involved in a check fraud scam, and got off easy apparently with 10 days in jail. Some of the people involved got 5-10 years, so she is counting her blessings! Her boyfriend committed to baptism as we taught the restoration though, and this sister shared with us that wants church to be a more active part of her life. It was a really great meeting.
On Friday we were able to see a sister, and her 3 year old daughter. Her daughter is always very shy around us, and hides behind her mom, but this time she warmed up to me a little bit! (Probably because I told her that I would make pink cupcakes and bring them to her the next time we see them, but minor details!) Christmas was difficult for them this year, but this sister is really excited for a brand new year, and a fresh new start!
On Saturday before a meeting with a less-active family, we met a couple while we were out tracting. They are catholic, but are very aware of Mormons. They met each other while working for the Boy Scouts of America, so they have met LOTS of Mormons ;) I was able to talk with them about the BSA program, and the fact that I was an Eagle Scout, and that I went to BYU which used to have a BSA major. (It is now the recreational management major I believe.) Who knew that my Mom was inspired by making me do scouting, even though I didn't like it very much. Especially the camping part. They have a very unique family! They have a deaf daughter who has had surgeries to make it so that she can talk and hear now, and two big dogs. It was really fun being able to meet with them and talk with them briefly! Hopefully we will be able to meet with them again in the near future.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year :) Thank you all for your love and warm wishes!
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Mom,
Today, right before we left the house to go email, I got an unexpected package! The Bancrofts who spent their Christmas in the warm and beautiful Hawaii, sent me a postcard and some fun macadamia nut treats from Hawaii :) It made my day! Maybe we can swap for a couple weeks though, these past two days have been quite cold! Yesterday was -15 degrees, and the wind chill brought it down to about -35/40 degrees. Not fun!!
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